The first match of the World Cup will see hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador in Group A. The South American nation returns to the World Cup finals after an eight-year absence, while Felix Sanchez Bas’s team is playing for the first time in their history on the largest international platform. The 2022 hosts hold the distinguished honor of opening the newest World Cup, as domestic leagues take a break to allow the world’s best to gather in the Middle East, just a week after Sepp Blatter said that Qatar should not have been given the World Cup in the first place.
Since Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup back in 2010, controversy has reared its ugly head; but, on the field, Sanchez Bas and his team of future legends have only worked to improve their chances of progressing past Group A. For the world’s 50th-ranked country, playing 2010 World Cup finalists Netherlands and Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal is certainly a baptism of fire, but they have participated in four warm-up friendlies since October and have won all four of them.
In recent weeks, Qatar has defeated Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and most recently Albania. Star striker Almoez Ali scored the only goal against Albania, and the Maroons are now attempting to become the first World Cup debutants to win their opening game since Senegal defeated the reigning champions France in 2002. Sanchez Bas’s team, on the other hand, is attempting to prevent being the second World Cup hosts to not advance past the group stage, following South Africa in 2010. However, a win here would also make Qatar the first AFC country to win its first-ever World Cup matchup. Not only Qatar but Ecuador was also involved in controversy before the start of the World Cup after fielding an ineligible player during qualification. Ecuador was reportedly threatened with elimination from the competition.
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